Contemporary Funk Vinyl 481 Items

Polyfunktional returns with his second single off "New Walls" album, this time the sound is more bouncy, the influences are from early Roger Troutman or Prince to more contemporary bands like Tuxedo, with fat claps, moog synth bass lines, funky guitars and the never disappointing Talkbox for some vocal inserts. Wut Bout is the mood that you have everytime you're in a new relationship, like: ok I'm ready to be the best lover that I can, but "What about you?"

1st single off "New Walls" album, soundwise the title "Smooth Like Honey" is self explanatory, the mellowness of guitars and jazzy chords of the rhodes piano accompanies the un-quantized rhythm of the drums, while the opalescent artist-producer Polyfunktional tells you the story of his relationship with music, singing his melodies first with the vocoder, then with the talkbox, paying homage to some of his early influcences from Delagation to Roger Troutman, in a whole new mixture of a Modern Funk mid-tempo ballad.

A celebration of Toru Hashimoto (suburbia) for his 30th anniversary as a compiler!

Compiling the best tracks from his storied career Suburbia Meets P-vine is a celebration of a man who has released over 350 compilations over 30 years. Hit series such as the soul compilation “Free Soul” and “Cafe Apres-midi” have made Hashimoto something of a household name in Japan, but with the ear for song selection and immense musical knowledge that he has, his name should be known around the world! You’re only going to find the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the freest of free soul - so make sure you get your copy while you can!

Includes 60 x 60 cm poster of the album artwork! The poster is only available at HHV!

When Leon Michels and El Michels Affair released their rst record, Sounding Out The City, in 2005, it was hard to guess what was next for Michels and his then-introduced, now-patented "cinematic soul" sound. Now, four EMA studio albums and scores of tribute and remix projects later - all while producing for some of the biggest names in the industry - Michels has trademarked his sound, with each project taking audiences somewhere new and pushing the boundaries of what he is known for. The man is a river, not a lake and this time he takes his golden touch into the realm of hip-hop laying down a musical bed for one of the greatest to ever rhyme into a microphone: Black Thought of The Roots crew. Releasing on Big Crown Records, the LP is called Glorious Game and it is a remarkable debut partnership in more ways than one. Michels provides his bottom-heavy, soul-tinged production for Black Thought who gives us some of the more personal and transparent verses we've ever heard from him. Michels and Black Thought have been in each other's orbit for a while now. The two first met in the 2000s when Thought was first getting familiar with the contemporary soul scene. "Out of that whole world, Menahan Street Band was probably my favorite," recalling the funk and soul group Michels was a founding member of back in 2007. Fast forward a few years and musicians from that collective - Dave Guy on trumpet and Ian Hendrickson-Smith on sax - are now full time players with The Roots. This connection eventually led Leon and Thought to doing a few fundraising events around NYC and Philly together. "Before long, Black Thought was coming around the studio and would jam with us from time to time," Michels explains. "Then, fast forward to 2020 and Covid lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me to send him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy." Being that Black Thought is the co-founder and emcee for, hands down, the best live-band group in hip-hop. Michels took a decidedly different approach to this project and instead of sending recorded tracks of live compositions, he pulled out the sampler and sampled himself and some records from his collection. "I'm a big fan of soul music," as if Michels has to remind us. "And part of hip-hop's appeal to me has always been the sample-based production" For Glorious Game, Michels would make wholly composed and recorded soul songs in his studio, sample himself, then chop and/or loop up his sounds and create instrumentals for Black Thought. On some tracks he took a more traditional hip-hop approach, starting from samples of other people's music but then adding live instrumentation on top. But for the most part, it's him reinterpreting his own compositions into something new. The result is an organic feel of loop-based tracks that breathe and uctuate enough for Black Thought to ex on. "What I write about is determined by the equation of the producer's energy and my energy," Black Thought says. "It's about where we meet." So armed with Michels sampled and re-sampled soul cinematics, Black Thought rhymes through personal memories.

Six Nine Records Ltd. UK proudly presents Soul Basement’s first vinyl release on the label containing two tracks from the exquisite and digital only EP “Do No Wrong”; “Take Me Back” and “Trying Hard (Feat. Lana Gordon)”. Soul Basement was founded in 1997 by Fabio Puglisi (who has been the core of the band since then) and they are acclaimed worldwide for their superb songwriting and unique sound, where they extremely skillfully blur the lines between musical genres. Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with full colour printed picture cover!

Six Nine Records Ltd. UK proudly presents two brand new mixes of the Golden Bridge tunes “Wouldn’t Be The Same” and “I Can Prove It” (an excellent updated version of Tony Etoria’s 70s modern soul track), where Matt Antunes delivers vocals on the first and Leon Beal on the latter. Both tracks originates from the first (and so far only) full length album from 2019 by the duo consisting of Monolog (Yukihiro Kanesaka) and T-Groove (Yuki Takahashi) and are hereby released on 7” vinyl for the first time ever. Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with full colour printed picture cover!

The Sleepers RecordZ is proud to introduce Jolie Davenport to the world of modern funk music. The Austin, TX-based vocalist brings you two synth-centric hitters, both produced by the backbone of the Sleepers label, Ivan Makvel. In the course of just two tracks, Davenport covers all of the prerequisites for a well-rounded modern day boogie excursion. "Runaway" is made for the dance floor and isn't shying away from its polished, pop sensibility. The chorus is an earworm waiting to get pleasantly stuck in one's mind, gliding perfectly over frenetic bass notes and synth brass chords. "Like That," penned by modern funk mainstay Moniquea, balances the party by taking it to the streets. Makvel's production here is better suited for a cruise down the boulevard in a 60's-era Chevy rather than the club, yet it's also certain to incite involuntary movement the moment you press play. As always, Sleepers brings you these two tracks in physical form via limited edition color vinyl 7" - only 150 copies pressed.

'Turn Away' is a song in two parts" explains Skinshape aka Will Dorey. "The front section is intended to be classic songwriter style, with a focus on the chord progression and lyrics. The second half perhaps represents a curious epiphany, a realisation of something profound". As the plot develops, Dorey's clandestine charisma creates an alchemic, and most gentlemanly, cleansing of the soul. From his director's chair, Dorey expands that "following the theme of film music, 'Dreams of Panama' could be an exotic scene in the movie, featuring a slight Latin twist and an epic introduction with full choir". The track also makes the most of an opportunity to use a solo female vocal as the main melody.

Dynamite Cuts is proud to release this mighty afro funk 7” double by the mighty Matata band. Both tracks taken from the Mega rare and collectable “Independence” LP. On the A side is “I Feel funky” the perfect club dancer, with its up-tempo groove and catch chorus, win, winner. On the flip is the hidden treasure, and for the first time on 7” vinyl the massive!! “Talkin’ Talkin”, a killer afro funk mid-tempo groove with a great lyric plus an almighty old school drum break, just perfect.

For 30 years, Osaka Monaurail has been on a global mission to preach the gospel of the book of soul. And now Japan’s greatest little funk orchestra is back with not just one but two brand new burners that will put a strut in your walk and make you feel the hairs standing up on your neck. More than a decade after their collaboration with James Brown’s Soulsister Number One Marva Whitney, the group has once again teamed up with a singer – L.A.’s alluring and uniquely expressive Casey Malone.

Together, Malone and the tightly-drilled 10-piece band led by singer, keyboardist and producer Ryo Nakata breathe new life into two monster hits of 1960s soul; “Do You Really Want To Rescue Me,” written by James Brown and his saxophonist-collaborator Nat Jones and first recorded by back-up singer Elsie Mae; and Fats Domino’s “Whole Lot of Lovin’.” The Monaurail’s hard-driving interlocking rhythms, their short melodic and rhythmic phrases, and the bluesy harmonic vocabulary help to make these two pieces quintessential funk, complemented by Malone who, much like jazz icon Billie Holiday, uses her voice as an expressive musical instrument, bending and glissing notes like a horn player, commanding attention not with forcefulness, but with reluctance.

These two new singles came about at the behest of Ubiquity’s founder Michael McFadin who had been busy coming up with ideas on who to pair with Malone after the release of her debut single “Hey Amerika.” He reached out to DJ Pari, Marva Whitney’s former manager and producer, who made the connection with the mighty Monaurail – and the rest, as they say, is history. “When I heard about the opportunity to cut some tunes with the legendary Osaka Monaurail I was over the moon,” Malone says. “It was truly an honor to share sound waves with the band.”

Osaka Monaurail and Casey Malone went on a singular mission to come up with the tightest collaboration in recent years between Japan’s top funk export and one the genre’s new protagonists based in the funk’s homeland. Without a doubt, here is indisputable proof of that achievement. Play these jams to any permanent pressed squares in your cribs or dancefloors, and watch them turn into jive dancin’ live wires!

For 30 years, Osaka Monaurail has been on a global mission to preach the gospel of the book of soul. And now Japan’s greatest little funk orchestra is back with not just one but two brand new burners that will put a strut in your walk and make you feel the hairs standing up on your neck. More than a decade after their collaboration with James Brown’s Soulsister Number One Marva Whitney, the group has once again teamed up with a singer – L.A.’s alluring and uniquely expressive Casey Malone.

Together, Malone and the tightly-drilled 10-piece band led by singer, keyboardist and producer Ryo Nakata breathe new life into two monster hits of 1960s soul; “Do You Really Want To Rescue Me,” written by James Brown and his saxophonist-collaborator Nat Jones and first recorded by back-up singer Elsie Mae; and Fats Domino’s “Whole Lot of Lovin’.” The Monaurail’s hard-driving interlocking rhythms, their short melodic and rhythmic phrases, and the bluesy harmonic vocabulary help to make these two pieces quintessential funk, complemented by Malone who, much like jazz icon Billie Holiday, uses her voice as an expressive musical instrument, bending and glissing notes like a horn player, commanding attention not with forcefulness, but with reluctance.

These two new singles came about at the behest of Ubiquity’s founder Michael McFadin who had been busy coming up with ideas on who to pair with Malone after the release of her debut single “Hey Amerika.” He reached out to DJ Pari, Marva Whitney’s former manager and producer, who made the connection with the mighty Monaurail – and the rest, as they say, is history. “When I heard about the opportunity to cut some tunes with the legendary Osaka Monaurail I was over the moon,” Malone says. “It was truly an honor to share sound waves with the band.”

Osaka Monaurail and Casey Malone went on a singular mission to come up with the tightest collaboration in recent years between Japan’s top funk export and one the genre’s new protagonists based in the funk’s homeland. Without a doubt, here is indisputable proof of that achievement. Play these jams to any permanent pressed squares in your cribs or dancefloors, and watch them turn into jive dancin’ live wires!

Reggie B returns with his much awaited NBN release "Tinky's Jam." This is his first full length album since "Soulofunkaquarian" released with INnatesounds. The album was most definitely worth the wait. It takes the listener through a personal and musical journey inspired by the birth of his son, who he affectionately calls "Tinky," and the connection they share. Tinky was a major part of this album, oftentimes found in the studio during the conceptions of many of the songs. This album is unlike any other record released by the Kansas born producer, multi instrumentalist, singer and arranger. After the birth of his son, he was inspired and encouraged to get back into the musical game by the head of NBN, Onra. "Tinky's Jam" is something of a family affair with friends and old collaborators playing their part. Mostly instrumental and showcasing Reggie's many styles from the heavy bounce of "Futuristic Slow", to the George Clinton nod on "P For Life", and the crafted soul of "Gone Fishing" with Dominique Sanders to the cool street jazz feel of "Realize" with Donald Hates's sax adding flare as well as the beat of "Nose Dive" providing the nod factor for the heads. Closing out the LP "Tinky's Dance" - a raw soulful jam that lies somewhere between Prince and Larry Heard - for Reggie "the whole project felt like a gift to me and my baby boy Tinky! I wanted to let him know he's always in my heart and soul and I love my Tinky man infinitely! It's a children's album for the elevated child like Tinky!"

The Leonhart Brass Band was conceived during the 2020 Covid-19 quarantine when trumpeter/composer Michael Leonhart was unable to perform with his 18-piece orchestra at NYC's famous Jazz Standard. Instead, Leonhart began composing music for a raw small brass band featuring members of Antibalas, the Dap-Kings and Red Baraat, whom were all capable of playing outdoors without amplification. Building on the foundation of the classic brass bands—Dirty Dozen Brass and Rebirth Brass Band—Leonhart has infused elements of hip-hop and funk to create his own sound.

On side A, "Snake Oil” is driven by a cymbal bell heavy drum groove and bass line with a horn melody that harkens back to the serpentine lines of both Cannonball Adderley's 1973 LP, Inside Straight, and saxophonist Eddie Harris' classic "Freedom Jazz Dance.” Leonhart takes the first solo on trumpet followed by Cochemea Gastelum on baritone saxophone.

On the flip, “Shammgod” is a tribute to perhaps the greatest ball handler to ever play basketball, God Shammgod (a/k/a Shammgod Wells). Although his professional career was short lived—as he had played only for the Dallas Mavericks’1997-1998 season and later for the Chinese Basketball Association (Zhejiang Cyclones)—his name rings on for the creation of his legendary crossover move, “The Shammgod.” Leonhart draws frequent creative inspiration from basketball; the tight staccato strut of the horn melody has the tempo and swagger of a pickup street ball game, a sound that’s further accentuated with Stuart Bogie on the baritone saxophone.

Reggie B returns with his much awaited NBN release "Tinky's Jam.” This is his first full length album since “Soulofunkaquarian” released with INnatesounds. The album was most definitely worth the wait. It takes the listener through a personal and musical journey inspired by the birth of his son, who he affectionately calls “Tinky,” and the connection they share. Tinky was a major part of this album, oftentimes found in the studio during the conceptions of many of the songs. This album is unlike any other record released by the Kansas born producer, multi instrumentalist, singer and arranger. After the birth of his son, he was inspired and encouraged to get back into the musical game by the head of NBN, Onra. "Tinky's Jam" is something of a family affair with friends and old collaborators playing their part.

Born into a musical family to parents who were two sides of the same coin, a father who was one of the most renowned drummers in Topeka, Kansas funk and jazz fusion scenes and a mother who was one of the most prominent gospel singers in the city. The apple didn't fall far from the tree and Reggie has spent his life performing and playing with a healthy slew of releases.

This album is the result of countless days in the studio which yielded scores of a dozen slabs of head nodding funk.

Mostly instrumental and showcasing Reggie's many styles from the heavy bounce of "Futuristic Slow", to the George Clinton nod on "P For Life", and the crafted soul of "Gone Fishing" with Dominique Sanders to the cool street jazz feel of "Realize" with Donald Hates's sax adding flare as well as the beat of "Nose Dive" providing the nod factor for the heads.

Closing out the LP ``Tinky's Dance" - a raw soulful jam that lies somewhere between Prince and Larry Heard - for Reggie "the whole project felt like a gift to me and my baby boy Tinky! I wanted to let him know he’s always in my heart and soul and I love my Tinky man infinitely! It’s a children's album for the elevated child like Tinky!”